Commentary: Fermented foods are a rich source of a wide variety of probiotics – lactic acid bacteria, a scientific fact that is well-documented. One of my favorite “reads” is the Handbook of Fermented Functional Foods, a beloved Christmas present given to me by my husband, a few years ago.

We always keep one Pickl-It in constant use, fermenting garlic, which is not only an important daily-food, but also one that helps when it comes to the occasional bout of battling colds or the flu. Since following the dietary guidelines of Weston A. Price and Nourishing Traditions, we seldom have colds or the flu, but when we do, it is garlic to the rescue!

A perfect under-the-weather lunch is a bowl of South River Miso soup into which we add a clove of crushed garlic, accompanied by a lightly-toasted slice of sourdough bread, drenched in gently-melted home-made grass-fed butter loaded with more crushed garlic.

The following is well-documented research on the benefits of probiotics on cold and flu-like symptoms:

Probiotic Effects on Cold and Influenza-Like Symptom Incidence and Duration in Children

CONCLUSION: Daily dietary probiotic supplementation for 6 months was a safe effective way to reduce fever, rhinorrhea, and cough incidence and duration and antibiotic prescription incidence, as well as the number of missed school days attributable to illness, for children 3 to 5 years of age.